Bearing for rope stranding machines



L c. PESKIN BEARING FOR ROPE STRANDING MACHINES Nov. 21, 1944.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 10, 1941 [1206 71507.- Zia/V4906. P5/ //v, i Y

Nov. 21, 1944.

1.. c. PESKIN BEARING FOR ROPE S TRANDING MACHINES Filed Oct. 10, 1941, s Sheets-Sheet s turn shocki The repeated impacts resulting from such to lead to diificult working Patented Nov. 21, 194 4 BEARING FOR ROPE STRANDING MACHINES Leonard o. Peskin, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor toThe American Steel; and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 10, 1941. Serial No. 414.526 (o1. 308-73) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to rope stranding ma-- chines, and more particularly to'those which are adapted to operate at high speeds. In rope-stranding machines, there is usually a horizontally disposed hollow rotor which carries within it a large number of spools of wire on axes substantially perpendicular thereto, the

wires from the spools being drawn through apertures in a die plate at one end of therotor during the rotation of the latter and twisted into a rope. The rotors of these machines are rotated at very high speeds, which gives rise to numerous difficulties. Ordinarily the rotor is supported from underneath by a pair of spaced roll bearingsthe axes of which are substantially parallel with the axis of the rotor, and the rotoris heldthereagainst by its gravitational weight with or without any roll bearing mounted for contact with the top of the rotor. Because of the problems of dynamically balancing the rotor, such construction seriously limits the productive capacity of the machine.

When using roll bearings for the purpose stated, the rotor is not truly confined, but maintains contact with the rolls mereby by virtue ofits gravitational weight. As the rotor begins to revolve, centrifugal or dynamic forces come into play as a result of unbalanced forces 'which may be left-in the rotor. These unbalanced forces come-about due to lack of symmetry in the rotor, 'elastic distortion, improper machining and assembling, etc; Should'the component of the centrifugal forces at any roll bearing arising due to these unbalanced forces, exceed that portion of the gravitational weight of the rotor supported by the roll 'in question, the rotor'will lift from its one speed may become entirely prohibitive at a slightly higher speed.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a rope stranding machine of the type described which will operate with a minimum of maintenance, vibration, and noise atincreased speeds.

Another object is to provide a rope stranding machine which is so constructed and arranged that theoreticallyperfect dynamic balance of the rotor is entirelyv unnecessary; it being understood, of course, that practically perfect dynamic balan'cels never fully obtained.

The foregoing and other objects will be apparent. after referring to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the rotor of a rope stranding machine showing the apparatus of my invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line IIII of Figure 1.

Figure 3.is a section taken on the line III-III of Figure 2.

1 mentalities.

hearing momentarily in each revolution and reto make contact with great violence and behavior of, the rotor result in damage to the roll and rotor surface, requiring frequent maintenance work, great vibration causing breakage of 'flnerope wires, and damage to other parts of the mechanism, as well as noiseof such intensity as oondt'ions.

, While theoretically rotors erate smoothly, procedure is time-consumiing, costly, and requires maintenance of the q pment in excess of that found practical, at

least for rope stranding machines. Also, since the centrifugal forces resulting fromrotation in- Figure-4-is an enlarged section through the lower bearing instrumentalities and the support therefor. I I

Figure 5 is a plan of "one of the bearing instru- Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but disclosing a modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 generallydesignates the bed ofa rope stranding machine. At suitably spacedim,

tervals along the bed 2 is a plurality of bearing housings 4.. Disposed to. extend through the bearing housings-4 is a rotor 5 which is driven by a motor 6 through a speed reducer 1. Conventionally, the horizontally disposed rotor 5 is supported by roll bearings (not shown) whichoccu py the bearing housings 4 and bear against the said rotor at suitably spaced intervals (for example, 120), and rotate on axes which are subcan be perfectly dynamically balanced at one operating speed to opcrease as the square of the angular velocity of the rotor, a permissible amount of unbalance at stantially parallel thereto.

The horizontally disposed rotor 5 is adapted to 4 receive within the interior thereof cradles which carry spools of wire on .ax'es substantially perpendicular thereto, said wire being drawn through a twister head 10 atone end of; the hollow rotor.

and twisted into a rope or cable. The spool-carrying cradles are disposed opposite windows I! in the hollow'rotor 5, and it is through these windows that the spools are replaced. Thecom- 'bined horizontally disposedrotor 5, spool-carrying cradles, anddriving instrumentalities for the latter, are known as flyers, but as such form no part of the present invention.

In each of the bearing housings 4 there is provided a series'pf bearing elements which is dis;-

posed to contact. the rotor 5 at suitably spaced intervals, and to produce independent con-' vergent oil films which develop very high radial pressures and serve to hold the rotor against radial displacement.

These independent conascaaeo vergent oil films are wedge-shaped, tapering in the direction of rotation, and the load rides on them rather than on the metal of which the bearing elements re composed. The bearing elements are f crumed at their approximate centers to provide sufiicient flexibility to permit them to rock or fulcrum on lines which are perpendicular to the axis of the rotor, as will appear more fully hereinafter. h

, According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided adjacent the bottom of each of the bearing housings 4, and on opposite sides thereof, a pedestal l5 having a stud l6 which extends toward the axis of the hollow rotor 5 and provides asupporting surface. On each of the studs ii there is carried a bearing shoe l1 withstraight and flat ends. This prevents the rocking movement of the bearing. shoes ii in a plane through the axis of the rotor 5. The sides of the studs ii are curved, as shown more clearly in Figure 4, to thus permit rocking movement of the bearing shoe I! in a plane at right angles to theaxis f the rotor. In addition, there is provided a sight clearance between the outer ends of each of'the studs i6 and the bottom of the rectangular-shaped recess i8. Such construction permits a very slight movement of each of the bearing shoes II in a plane parallel to the sides thereof, may have provision for adjustv -ment of position with respect to the hollow rotor 5. Further, this adjustment is accommodated by the upper bearing shoe, also designated at H, and within the bearin recess l8, of which there is disposed a spherical boss 28 which is carried on the end of a shaft 29 which extends through the bearing housing 4 and is provided on its outer end with screw threads, to accommodate a handwheel 30,. Between the inner face of the bearing housing 4 and the adjacent side of the upper bearing shoe i1 is a spring 3| which may be used \to hold the said bearing shoe in adjusted position. Bythis means the ,upper bearing shoe is radially adjustable, I in order that the unitary pressure of all the bearing shoes I! may be properly compensated and the position of shoes l'l properly aligned with respect to rotor 5.

Referring more particularly to Figure 6, I have disclosed a modification which comprises a splash lubricating system in lieu of the pressure lubri- .having a recess I8 within which thesupporting cating system of Figures zthrough 5.

There is provided at either side of the bearing shoe i! a ring 33 which is carried by the rotor 5.v These rings 33, in combination with the home'- ings for the bearing shoe I'I, provide a labyrinth type of seal. v

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim: 1. A bearing for high speed spindles and the like comprising a rectangular-shaped body memher having a curved bearing surface, a bearing axis-pf the rotor 5. This slight movement may followfrom any buckling movements of the rotor 5 due to uneven loading of the rotor with heavily loaded spools or reels of wire. At the bottom of each bearing recess l8 there is provided a wear plate 20. Those faces of the bearing shoe l1 which are most adjacent to the hollow rotor -5 carry rectangular babbitt pads 22. Adiacent each edge of each of the babbitt pads 22 there is a groove 23 which extends peripherally of the hollow rotor 5. These grooves 23 are connected at their ends by transverse grooves 24. Disposed at spaced intervals in the transverse grooves 24 are oil holes 25 which communicate with an oil passage 26 extending longitudinally of the bearing shoe l1. Thus each of the transportion of relatively. soft metal carried by said bearing surface, said bearing surface-having a continuous groove arranged therein around the bearing *portion thereof, and a passageway arranged in said body member through which a lubricating medium is adapted to beintroduced thereinto, said body member having a plurality of holes arranged therein adjacent each end thereof connecting said groove and said passageway whereby a lubricating medium is supplied from said passageway into said groove and to the bearing portion of said bearing. r

i 2. In combination with a high speed rotor or the'like, a plurality of spaced apart bearing as- It is found that this arrangement provides for improved lubrication.

Through'the oil passage 26 oil may be fed under pressure through oil conduits 21. i

As the hollow rotor 5 acquires a high speed of rotation, the bearing shoes i1 will tilt in such manner that the ends thereof which extend'in the direction of rotation of the rotor will-be in closer contact therewith than the rearward end wedge-shaped oil film referred to.

'of the said 'bearing shoe, thus' providing the- While not shown in Figure 4,, the two bearing shoes I! which are disposed adjacent .the bottom ofthe bearing housings l and on opposite semblies arranged throughout the length of the rotor, each of said bearing assemblies'comprising a circular supporting means, a plurality of carried by said supporting means bearing sh for rotatably supporting the rotor,;means carried by said supporting means for pivotaliy support--.

ing at least some of said bearing shoes on said' supporting means whereby the same are adapted for rocking movement solely in a plane substantially perpendicularto the axis of the rotor and prevented from rocking movement in 'a plane through the axis thereof, at least one of said bearingshoes having a groove'arranged around the bearing area thereof, said bearing shoe having a passageway arranged therein for conveying a lubricating medium thereinto, a plurality of holes arranged in said bearing'shoe at each end thereof connecting saidv groove with said passagewamand means connected to said passageway for supplying-a lubricating medium thereinto from a source of supply 3. Inco'mblnation with a high speed rotor or the like, a plurality of spaced apart bearing as-' semblies arranged throughout the length of the rotor, each of said bearing assemblies comprising a circular supporting means, a plurality of bearing shoes carried by said supporting means for rotatably supporting the rotor, means carried by said supporting means for pivotally supporting at least some of said bearing shoes on said supporting means whereby the same are adapted for rocking movement solely in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rotor and prevented from rocking movement in a plane through the axis thereof, said last mentioned means consisting of a member having a substan.. tially rectangular-shaped head disposed so that the longest dimension thereof is substantially parallel to the axis of the rotor with the rectangular-shaped head of each of said membersbeing disposed in a rectangular-shaped opening arranged in the .outer side of thebearing shoe centrally thereof whereby the bearing shoe will tilt upon rotation of the rotor only in the direction ofrotation thereof so as to provide a substantially wedge-shaped oil film between the bearing area of the bearing shoe and the rotor upon which film the rotor is adapted to ride during the rotation thereof, at least one of said bearing shoes having means arranged therewith other of said bearing shoes and to saidrotor,

and means for supplying a lubricating medium for adjusting the same radially relative to the to the bearing area of at least one of said bearing shoes.

4. In combination with a high speed rotor or the like a plurality of spaced apart bearing assemblies arranged throughout the length of the rotor, each of said bearing assemblies comprising a supporting means, at least' one bearing shoe carried by said supporting means for rotatably supporting the rotor, means carried by said supporting means for 'pivotally supporting said hearing shoe on said supporting means whereby the same is adapted for rocking movement solely in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rotor andprevented from rocking movement through the axis thereof, said bearing shoe having a groove arranged around the bearing area thereof, said bearing shoe having a passageway arranged therein for conveying a lubricating medium thereinto, a plurality of holes arranged in'said bearing shoe at each end thereof connecting said groove with said passageway, and means connected to said passageway for supplying a lubricating medium thereinto from a source of supply.

' LEONARD C. PESKIN. 

